‘New Ambitions’

With works by Minda Andrén, Olivia Coeln, Birke Gorm, Jojo Gronostay, Lukas Kaufmann, Irina Lotarevich, Evelyn Plaschg, Marina Sula, Valentina Triet, Andreas Werner and Min Yoon

Federal chancellery, Vienna

9 February 2023 – 9 May 2024

Austria boasts a very vibrant contemporary art scene. Viewers can enjoy works from this art movement at around 100 institutional exhibition venues, including museums and art galleries, as well as at almost 100 independent art associations – so-called “offspaces” – run mainly by artists. In Vienna alone, over 150 artists graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts and the University of Applied Arts in 2022, expanding the already vast spectrum of contemporary artwork. The variety of exhibitions held across approximately 110 contemporary galleries in Austria reflects this emerging art scene’s dynamic and ambitious nature. Members of the Association of Austrian Modern Art Galleries currently represent many artists of the newest generation, and this exhibition featured a selection of their works.

Although it was not a representative cross-section, it did, however, illustrate the immense diversity and vitality of art created locally. The large number of artists born outside of Austria but who now live and work here is indeed a testimony to this country’s appeal as one offering ideal conditions for creation, exchange and presentation. The sheer density of protagonists, initiatives, institutions and galleries bears witness to an emerging Austrian art scene that stands out internationally and whose dynamism and commitment were explored in this compilation.